Between China and Europe railway transportation, has shown remarkable growth through 2024 thanks to cooperation and improvements in transportation infrastructure. This mode of transportation, faster, more economical and more environmentally friendly continues to play an important role in global trade, providing a choice.
Advantages of Railway Transport
1. Faster and Economical
Railway transportation, Faster and more cost-effective than sea transportation offers a choice. For example:
- Delivery time:
While sea shipping from China to Poland takes 35-40 days, rail shipping provides delivery in about 9 days. - Cost:
As of August 2024, the cost of moving a 40-foot container from China to Poland by rail will be less than half the cost of shipping by sea.
2. Environmentally Friendly Alternative
Rail transport stands out as an environmentally friendly option that reduces carbon emissions. Factors such as regional conflicts and maritime congestion are causing companies looking for an environmentally friendly alternative to turn to rail.
Global Developments and Regional Impacts
The Impact of the Red Sea Conflict
In 2024 Conflicts in the Red Sea region, caused a 67% decrease in maritime transport through the Suez Canal. This:
- Increased shipping charges.
- It has made rail transport a more attractive option.
Capacity Issues
Although rail transport is fast and reliable, it has limited capacity compared to sea transport:
- Freight Train Capacity: Average of 150 TEU (20-foot container).
- Large Sea Vessel Capacity: It can carry up to 24.000 TEU.
To close this gap, in order to equalize the amount of cargo carried by the sea vessel, 160 freight trains is necessary.
2024 Data and Growth Rates
Transportation Volume
- January-September 2024:
Total between China and Europe 14.689 round trip train trips It was performed.- Annual Increase: 13%.
Amount of Cargo Carried
- 1,57 million TEU of cargo was transported.
- Annual Increase: 11%.
These data show that rail transport continues to increase its importance in trade volume.
Future Perspective and Strategic Recommendations
Rail transport remains a critical component of trade networks and economic relations, but steps can be taken to make the system more efficient:
1. Increasing Infrastructure Investments
- To increase capacity commissioning of additional train sets.
- To reduce border crossing times digitalization of customs procedures.
2. Strengthening Logistics Collaborations
- Stronger cooperation between countries on the route will accelerate transportation processes.
3. Dissemination of Environmentally Friendly Transportation Policies
- Railway transportation, targets to reduce carbon emissions is an important tool for achieving this. In this context, international support and incentives need to be increased.
Between China and Europe railway transportation, continued to grow as an attractive alternative both economically and environmentally throughout 2024. Offering a more reliable and faster solution compared to sea transportation in times of regional instability, this mode of transportation is further strengthened with infrastructure improvements and cooperation projects. Continuing this growth in the future will further increase its impact on global trade.
